Native virtualizer boosts ARM code development

Synopsys has introduced a new development tool designed to enhance project efficiency by running code and IP on ARM hardware directly in the cloud. The Virtualizer Native Execution leverages ARM processors in the cloud to execute code for modeling, simulation, debug, and analysis purposes. This innovative approach enables the scaling of existing virtual prototypes, full utilization of Synopsys’ interface IP, and access to standards-based models.

Targeted towards developers working on automotive chips, high-performance computing systems, and IoT devices, this tool offers integration with Synopsys hardware-assisted verification systems for application-level power and performance analysis. It also supports hybrid prototyping with various ZeBu systems, including ZeBu Server 5, ZeBu EP1, ZeBu EP2, and the latest ZeBu-200.

Collaborating with Lauterbach and Corellium, Synopsys aims to enhance automotive virtual debugging capabilities. Ravi Subramanian, chief product management officer at Synopsys, emphasized the impact of software-defined products on modern product development, highlighting the acceleration of hardware/software co-design through Virtualizer Native Execution on Arm.

By leveraging the common instruction set between edge devices and cloud servers, running natively in the cloud streamlines software development processes. This approach simplifies software development, validation, and testing workflows by utilizing common toolchains, scalable virtual prototypes, and integration into CI/CD pipelines, ultimately boosting productivity and reducing turnaround time.

Engineers can benefit from early integration and validation of software using ARM hardware model libraries, including Synopsys Interface IP and accelerators. This facilitates faster debug cycles and time-to-market for software development, enabling seamless transitions from initial development to maintenance updates.

Virtualizer Native Execution significantly enhances simulation execution speed by directly executing software binaries on Arm application processor cores. This results in faster simulation speeds compared to edge devices, leveraging the native server speeds of approximately 2 to 4 GHz. Suraj Gajendra, vice president of automotive product and software solutions at ARM, emphasized the importance of providing developers with the necessary tools to keep up with the evolving automotive industry.